Final Fantasy 6 The Forgotten
by Broc
Summary: A Final Fantasy 6 Fanfiction - Re-Writing - 1st 2 Chapters, in 2nd Draft, Other Chapters, 1st Draft
1. Introduction

Introduction  
  
This is a record of a group of three persons who, though unrecorded by history, awakened a power that helped save millions of people as well as the world itself. The three people of whom I speak were members of the rebel group called The Returners. The Returners are famous for a number of it's members who helped to bring about the downfall of General Kefka. Such famous men and women as Terra Branford, Locke Cole, and Edgar Figaro were members of The Returners. But not all of The Returners are famous, and it is of two men, one woman, and the power they released that this story chiefly concerns. 


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One  
  
Cid's Lab  
  
"Beautiful, beautiful!" General Lesank murmured. "Emperor Gestahl will be pleased! Marvelous work, Cid!"  
  
"Thank you." Cid muttered, focusing his attention on filling out some paperwork.  
  
"What are you doing?" Lesank asked, suddenly.   
  
"Paperwork. I want to get it done befo-"  
  
"STOP IT!" Lesank snapped. "Give me that."   
  
"Bu-But-" Cid stammered, handing Lesank the papers.  
  
"We don't want any records of this incident, do you understand?" Lesank growled, crumpling the papers into a ball. "This never happened. These children have simply been raised by us since birth, that's all."  
  
"Bu-But-"  
  
"QUIET!" Lesank snapped. "You are so very brilliant, Cid, but so very STUPID! You've created four beings with incredible power! You created them from SCRATCH, Cid!"  
  
"Well, not quite scratch-"  
  
"If word gets out," Lesank continued, ignoring the nervous Cid, "that humans can be created, think what might HAPPEN!"  
  
"Yes, sir." Cid said, nervously.  
  
"Good. Just so we understand one another." Lesank sighed, heavily, and looked around the room. "So, what are the names?" He wondered.   
  
"Well, the blonde girl is Celes. She is the element of ice."  
  
"Brilliant." Lesank murmured.   
  
"The sickly looking boy is Kefka. He is the element of fire."  
  
"He does look sickly." Lesank said, slowly, looking at the child that floated in a test-tube filled with artificial magic energy. "What's wrong with him?"  
  
"He may be harder to control, that's all." Cid replied. "His power is great, though, greater than the others!" Cid looked even more nervous. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to run some more tests on him. They will slow his growth a little, but-"  
  
"But what? We don't want him to slow down, we need his power as soon as possible!" Lesank rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "No, no, don't hold him back, let him grow."  
  
"But-"  
  
"But nothing!" Lesank growled. "He is left to grow normally, that's that! Continue! Who is the other male child?"  
  
"Leonardo." Cid trembled.   
  
"Leo, hmm?" Lesank muttered. "The element of earth?"  
  
"No, he-he is the element of lightning." Cid gulped.   
  
"I see. Who is the last one? The sickly looking female?'  
  
"Gwen." Cid answered. "She is the element of earth. She needs to be held back as well, like Kefka was supposed to be, I mean. She-"  
  
"No holding her back!" Lesank growled.   
  
"But-"  
  
"NO holding ANY of them BACK!"   
  
"She has very little POWER!" Cid yelled. All was quiet for a moment, and Cid gasped, realizing what he had just done; realizing he had just yelled at one of superiors. Lesank didn't seem to care, for once.   
  
"What did you say?" The general asked, quietly.   
  
"She has no power. Her will power is very weak, making her easy to control. She will do anything she is told to do, but because of that, her will power being low, I mean, her power is very low."  
  
"I see." Lesank turned away, deep in thought. Finally, he turned back to the quaking Cid. "Is it possible to raise her power?"   
  
"Yes."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well," Cid began. "We would keep her in the lab and grow her to adulthood, but she would remain unawake, in a sort of coma."   
  
"I see."   
  
"All this time she will be injected with power. Her will power will grow steadily over this time, making her stronger. She will, of course, once completed, be harder to control...."  
  
"Who cares." Lesank declared, matter of factly. "We have ways of taking care of that."  
  
"Should we not consult with the emperor first?" Cid wondered.  
  
"We will, as soon as he gets back. Or, let me rephrase that....I will consult him. Until then, do as we have decided. Raise the girl in the lab, make her more powerful than the others put together. Understand? Good. It is settled! They all will be raised naturally, except for the earth girl....What was her name?"  
  
"Gwen." Cid whispered, hoarsely.   
  
"Very good." Lesank said, and was gone. Cid stood, rooted to the spot for a moment. Then, he slowly turned and walked over to four giant test tubes, each with a small child inside. He loved each one of them so much. A thought crossed his mind. Perhaps he ought to kill them, save them the agony of having to live a life ruled by the empire. But no, he would never be able to bring himself to do it.   
  
He was about to leave the room when there was a beeping noise, signaling the opening of a door. It was one of the lab assistants, Mari.  
  
"Cid?" The girl asked.   
  
"Yes, Mari?" Cid didn't turn to face her; he had a headache.  
  
"Emperor Gestahl has returned."  
  
"I see. Was he-"  
  
"Successful? I believe so. He has returned with a specimen for you." Mari sounded nervous, so Cid turned to face her.  
  
"Only one?" Cid was worried that Emperor Gestahl would be in a bad mood.   
  
"Yes. It is more useful than an esper, however." Mari assured Cid.  
  
"More useful than a- What is it?"  
  
"It is a human child, a girl. It has great power, yet is natural looking, as I understand. Not only that but since she is still young, but a baby, she ought to be easy to control."  
  
"What is she, Mari?" Cid asked, fearing the worst.   
  
"She is-" Mari hesitated. "Half human, half esper." Having delivered her message, the dazed Cid told Mari she was free to go. Then, tiredly, he looked around the room. There was the ball of paper on the floor. The paperwork about the four children he had created. Gwen's paperwork was the only he had been able to finish. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to save it, he thought. Carefully, he took the wadded up paper and placed in in the bottom drawer of his desk. No one would care if they were to find it, except, perhaps, Lesank. And right now, Lesank was the least of Cid's worries. 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
The Returner's Hideout  
  
"They are putting their hope in one girl, Akin, one girl! Think of it!" Gerard was a tall man with a brown hair, a scruffy beard, and eyes that were like two pools of muddy, yet smooth water.   
  
"It is rather ridiculous." The woman sitting next to Gerard said. Her name was Lana. She too was tall, with auburn hair and freckled skin. "Just think! It's the same as if Banon were to put his trust in me to defeat the empire all by myself!"  
  
"You don't have to tell me!" Akin assured his two friends. "Though, Lana, I'm afraid your comparison is a bit off. This girl has power, they say, and I believe them."  
  
"I have power too! And if she is so very powerful, then why are they escorting her around like she can't protect herself?" Lana demanded.   
  
"You're just jealous." Akin teased. He, like his two friends, was tall. His hair was smooth and wavy, a graying brown. His face was still young looking, though he was nearly 51.   
  
"What?" Lana looked shocked. "You honestly think this is abou-"  
  
"I was only joking, Lana!" Akin assured her. "You really ought to stop being so serious."  
  
"This is a serious matter." Lana replied, tersely. "The fate of-" She stopped short. "It's her!" Lana nodded toward a green haired girl who walked shyly into the dining area. Akin, Lana, and Gerard had been having a midnight snack that had quickly turned into a gossip meeting. They were in the dining room of the Returner's hideout. They hadn't expected the topic of their conversation to enter the room and they were a bit surprised to see the mysterious woman known as Terra. Terra looked nervously around the room, then spotted the three. She waved, shyly, and Akin smiled, motioning for her to come sit at the table. Terra smiled , almost weakly, back, then walked over and sat two chairs away from Akin.   
  
"Hello! Did we wake you?" Akin wondered. "I'm Akin, and I'm terribly sorry if we disturbed your sleep!"   
  
"No-no, that's okay!" Terra assured him, quietly. "I just felt like-like getting up, that's all."  
  
"This is Lana and this is Gerard, her boyfriend." Akin smiled at Terra as he spoke.  
  
"Hello." Terra waved at the two from across the table. "I'm Terra."   
  
"Nice to meet you." Gerard smiled. "Did you dye your hair?"   
  
"No." Terra said, blushing. "At least, I don't think so....You see, I-I really don't remember because..." Her voice trailed off. "It's a long story." She said, finally, as she bit her lip and looked away.  
  
"We've got time." Lana said, seriously. Akin shot her a look.  
  
"Oh." Terra said, surprised. "Well, I guess I...."  
  
"You needing tell us if you don't wish to, um, Terra." Gerard said, smiling at her.   
  
"No, that's okay, I-"  
  
"Can you really use magic?" Lana asked, suddenly. Akin and Gerard both glared at her. She made a face at them, then turned her attention to Terra.  
  
"Well, I-" Terra's face was bright red.   
  
"I heard you wiped out almost all of the Returners in Narsche!" Lana ignored the stares of Gerard and Akin as she spoke.   
  
"I-I-" Terra's eyes were wide with a sort of fear. Akin thought he saw tears running down her red cheeks. "I-I-I'll explain it all later. I-I need some-some air. Excuse me, please!" The girl stood and rushed away, knocking her chair over as she fled. Lana's mouth gaped at the girl.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" She wondered. Akin and Gerard glared at her.   
  
"Lana you really needn't be so rough with the girl. It wasn't her idea to save the world, but Banon's! She's probably scared to death." Gerard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But I must admit it was disheartening. She cannot save us from the empire. I pity the girl, I really do."  
  
"You pity everyone!" Lana snapped. "You're too damn honorable!" She sighed, and Gerard winced.  
  
"That wasn't lady like." He commented. "If I angered you I apologize."   
  
"Never mind." Lana said, slowly. "But the point is, we're fighting a losing battle. I for one am not going to put my trust in a girl with green hair and magical abilities."  
  
"I must agree." Akin said. "Even if her power is more immense than we can imagine, mass destruction will not work. Innocent lives will be lost if the route of destruction is chosen. I for one think assassination is a better plan."  
  
"What?" Lana perked up, Akin's words caught her interest.   
  
"It would be difficult, but it could be done." Gerard said, slowly.   
  
"My thoughts exactly." Akin agreed. "And the three of us are the perfect people to do it."  
  
"There I must disagree." Gerard said, slowly. "What can we do?"  
  
"I'm just confused! Share your knowledge, guys!" Lana frowned, a confused look on her face.  
  
"A large number would not be able to sneak in, they would be to noticeable." Akin declared. "A small number, however, could sneak in."  
  
"Perhaps." Gerard said, doubtfully.  
  
"I think it's a good idea." Lana said. "We start tomorrow?"  
  
"No." Akin shook his head. "Don't be silly. It will take time. We will need to somehow establish ourselves as loyal citizens, you and Gerard should get married, I should pretend to be your father, Lana.....No, not tomorrow. We must start out soon, but it will be awhile before we can act."  
  
"Fine, I'm all for it!" Lana exclaimed, a little too loudly.  
  
"Quiet, Lana, please!" Gerard whispered. "But I myself am warming to the idea as well."  
  
"It is settled then!" Akin declared. "The Returners are failing and we will break off from them and plan to assassinate the emperor, his three generals, and anyone else who poses a threat."  
  
"Agreed." Lana said, smiling.  
  
"Agreed." Gerard added. Akin smiled.   
  
"Then I too, must say: Agreed!" 


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
Hate  
  
Gwen had remained in the tube for many long, cold, dark, quiet years. And she had hated every moment of it. Throughout the years she had been fed power. She had accepted the power into her body eagerly, in the hopes one day she would be released. But there was someone standing in her way.  
  
"Give me some of her power, Cid, just this once, old man!" Kefka cried. The emperor had said to, so Cid obeyed. Kefka had come up with a hundred reasons to keep Gwen locked away in her test tube. Because Kefka knew that if she were released she might take his place. Because he knew she had become more powerful than he. Kefka didn't want to be replaced. And if Kefka wanted something, he usually came up with some way to get it. So Gwen remained in her test-tube prison, hating Kefka. Hating him more than anything at all. Because he was all she knew. Kefka and Cid were the only men she knew of. She could not see in her test tube prison, and she could not hear. But over the years she could feel the voices of those around her. She could feel and hear and know them inside of her head. And she knew that Kefka was the reason she was in this prison. So she hated Kefka.   
  
Cid and Kefka were the only men she knew, but she had known other beings. Espers had lived in test-tubes nearby and she had sensed their powerful presence. Then there was the girl, Terra, who had been in and out of the test tube next to Gwen for as long as Gwen could remember. Once some of Terra's power had been drained and inserted into Gwen's body. Only a small amount, but enough that Gwen was able sense Terra's presence; enough for Gwen to know Terra within Gwen's mind. Terra, Cid, and Kefka. Cid was a pushover that Gwen had no affection for. Terra was merely another esper to Gwen. And Kefka, Gwen hated. It was he who had 'suggested' that Gwen should be moved to the new lab being built outside of the rubble of a place called Doma where Gwen was sure to be forgotten.  
  
She despised Kefka more than anything. She would have been willing to join up with anyone, do anything, if only she could kill Kefka. "Go! Go! Take her to the lab!" Kefka cried. "Go! Go! Give me some of her power!"   
  
Gwen hated Kefka. 


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  
  
Infiltration  
  
  
  
Weeks had passed since Akin, Gerard, and Lana had decided to depart from the Returners hideout. After securing passage on the Emperor's personal ship on a voyage that the Emperor would be traveling on, Lana, Akin, and Gerard had prepared themselves for the worst. But so far, everything had been easy. They had snuck down through a grating and found themselves in a restricted lab. Outside the door they could hear the guards chatting, so they were as quiet as possible. They knew the lab belonged to Cid, a scientific genius. They also knew that in the lab, rumor had it, there was a specimen being transported to the outskirts of the rubble of Doma castle. They had made up their minds to destroy the specimen. Gerard had left the lab through the intricate furnace system to assassinate the emperor. Akin had crawled through the grating to assassinate General Leo. That left Lana with the task of destroying the specimen. But there was no specimen to be found. Lana searched the room high and low, but found nothing.   
  
"Maybe there's something in the desk." She whispered to herself, and began to rummage through the drawers. That was when she found it. A wrinkled, faded sheet of paper labeled 'TOP SECRET'. She looked it over. The handwriting was difficult to read, but she could make out the words 'Element of Earth'. Lana pondered that for a moment, then let the paper fall to the floor, to turn back to her searching. The paper hit the ground with a clatter. After waiting to see if the sound had been heard and confirming that it had not, Lana picked up the paper to see what had made the noise. On the back of the paper was taped a key with a tag that bore the words 'Backup'  
  
Lana raised an eyebrow, and pocketed the key, continuing her search. She was not going to give up, though a lesser person might have. She wondered how long it would be till Gerard finished his task, the most important one. It was likely niether she, Gerard, or Akin would make it out alive, but the three had decided doing nothing was just as bad as fighting for the empire. So here they were, and Lana knew that time was of the essence.   
  
Suddenly, she heard a noise, a beeping sound coming from inside the room. "What's that?" Lana heard one of the guards outside of the lab say.  
  
"Nothing. Just the specimen's machine case.......Thingy!" The guard replied. He seemed to think this was funny and he and his companion roared with laughter. A relieved Lana tried to follow the noise. It came from a cabnet. A locked cabnet. Lana withdrew the key from her pocket. The cabnet swung open and Lana nearly gasped. The cabnet that, from the outside, appeared to be old and rickety, was really holding a giant test tube with a person inside. It was a woman. She was naked, her hair short and jet black. She appeared to be sleeping. Cords and tubes were connected to the base of the tube and they ran to several large tanks of glowing fluid. Lana's mouth dropped open, and she stood staring at the woman for several moments in amazement.  
  
She stood there for several minutes when suddenly she heard one of the guards outside the door crying out. There were shouts and Lana realized that at least one of the deeds had been done. She had no time, yet she knew not what to do. As a last resort she drew her knife and stabbed at the base controls of the tube. There was a shock that cascaded through her arm, and she drew back. There had been little affect. She turned and saw Akin crawling out of the furnace duct. Lana bit her lip and shoved the knife back down into the control panel. A shock ran through her arm and she screamed.   
  
Akin, surprised to hear a scream coming from Lana, rushed forward to see what had happened. Lana lay on the floor and Akin bent to examine her. She had, apparently, been electrocuted and was now dead. Akin looked at the test tube in front of him. There was a woman in it, and she was moving, as if she was only now awakening. It appeared that Lana had shut off something when she had shoved her knife into the control panel. Akin frowned. He had failed at his task and gereral Leo was still alive. He wondered if Gerard had done better; he hoped so. But he had now time to think of Gerard. The specimen in this test tube, beautiful though she was, had to be destroyed. Akin threw his body against the side of the cabnet and it toppled, taking the test tube with it. Akin picked himself off the floor, chuckling to think that the empire had been so careless. He would of expected more care to be taken over such a thing, unless it was of little importance. He bent down and looked at the test tube that lay on it's side. The woman was moving.   
  
The woman threw her arms out and the test tube exploded, sending Akin backwards. He landed on the ground, hitting his head. Pain shot through him and in an instant, he was dead. 


	6. Ending

Ending  
  
Three brave men and women died that day. One was caught attempting to kill Emporer Gestahl. One was killed by a mysterious woman, known as Gwen. The other was killed by electricity. The ship they were on was destroyed, though the empire never would tell by what. Emporer Gestahl, General Leo, and some others of importance escaped with their lives, but many of the commoners on the boat died when the emporer refused to share a life raft with them. It must be said that general Leo did make a valiant attempt and allowed many commoners to share his life raft, saving many lives. The mysterious woman in the test tube, Gwen, freed from her prison by Akin, Gerard, and Lana, escaped with her life. She possesed great power, but not the power to fly, and therefore was washed up and marooned on the shore of a nameless island. The woman, Gwen, the element of earth, has appeared in other compilations of history, but her past, gender, and identity are often shrouded in mystery. Now, her story, as well as the story of those who awoke her, has been told. 


End file.
